The AbaThembu Royal Kingdom has distanced itself from other kingdoms who threatened not to vote in solidarity with jailed Abathembu King Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo. The AbaThembu Royal Council addressed a press conference to clarify issues surrounding the release of the King.
On Sunday, President Cyril Ramaphosa visited the AbaThembu Kingdom and expressed he is still applying his mind to the recommendations from Justice Minister Michael Masutha to release the King.
Threats to abstain from voting have been doing the rounds; if the president does not release the King before elections. The Council called a meeting to urge voters to cast their ballots.
AbaThembu Royal Family member Thandisizwe Monwabisi Mtirara, says that one of the members, Zwelonke, is misrepresenting the family.
“We want to warn Zwelonke not to go around saying he won’t go to vote while he never came to sit with us. We are here, he should come here and discuss this matter with us and stop misrepresenting us.”
Mtirara says negotiations are on-going with victims.
“We are negotiating with the victims with the acting king to try and talk to them to reach a common ground into this.”
The Kingdom says that they do not view the king to be above the law.
The King’s acting spokesperson, says that they are following legal processes.
“We applied and followed legal processes. We applied for pardon which is a legal process on its own.”
Meanwhile, a reception committee to welcome the king, should he be released, has been formed.
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